Plan Your Family

Surrogacy

At Genesis we are pleased to help couples who require surrogacy to have children.

With more than a decade of experience working with surrogates, we‘ve become a trusted partner for many families. We pride ourselves in providing a thorough screening process, commitment to safety, and full disclosure of the risks and successes of surrogacy. For more information on surrogacy, read on, or book a personal consultation at our fertility clinic in Vancouver.

Gestational carrier surrogacy

Gestational carrier surrogacy is when a woman (called a gestational carrier) becomes pregnant after an embryo is transferred into her uterus. The embryo was created from another woman’s eggs, and so the gestational carrier is not genetically related to the child.

The gestational carrier surrogacy pathway is a viable option for heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, and single parents unable to get pregnant or carry children of their own.

Once the medical, psychological and legal components are in place, the intended parents undergo ‘in-vitro fertilization‘ and the resulting embryo(s) are transferred into the carrier’s uterus. After birth, the surrogate then gives the child to the intended parents.

At Genesis, we pride ourselves in providing a thorough screening process, commitment to safety, and full disclosure of the risks and successes of surrogacy. Intended parents require a legal contract between themselves and the potential surrogate. This legal contract is arranged privately. A counselling session is also required for the intended parents and the surrogate prior to starting treatment. Once these medical, legal and counselling components are complete we can start the process.

In what cases would a gestational carrier be needed?

A woman who has healthy ovaries but cannot carry a pregnancy for one of the following reasons would require a gestational carrier:

What to know about finding a gestational carrier surrogate:

Under the Assisted Human Reproduction Technology Act passed in 2004, a surrogate mother may be reimbursed for expenses such as prenatal vitamins, costs of traveling to the doctor, and loss of income. However, she cannot receive any sort of wage for carrying the child.

Commercial surrogacy is a form of surrogacy in which a surrogate or gestational carrier is paid. This procedure is legal in several countries, but not in Canada. Consequently there is no list of surrogates available at Genesis. By law we cannot put couples needing surrogacy in contact with potential surrogates; rather, the couple must find a surrogate themselves.

To be a surrogate a woman must be healthy, have a ‘BMI’ <= 30 kg/m2), be under age 43 and have had at least one healthy, term pregnancy.

Indications:

Absent uterus (e.g. after hysterectomy)

Uterine abnormalities (e.g. severe scarring)

Medical reasons that make pregnancy unsafe

After a after hysterectomy that includes removal of the ovaries

Previous radiation or other treatment that has damaged the uterus and ovaries

Questions about surrogacy? We’re here to help.Book a consultation with a top fertility expert in Vancouver

Traditional surrogacy

Traditional surrogacy is not performed at Genesis, however for the purpose of understanding the two types of surrogacy, traditional surrogacy is when a woman (called a surrogate mother) carries and delivers a pregnancy conceived with her eggs for a couple. After the birth she gives the child to the intended parents with whom she has a contract.

Traditional surrogacy is an option for a woman who does not have functioning ovaries nor a functioning uterus. Examples of causes include:

After a after hysterectomy that includes removal of the ovaries

Previous radiation or other treatment that has damaged the uterus and ovaries

If a pregnancy is not achieved after 4-6 months of inseminations, fertility treatments like ‘IVF’ are often considered.

At Genesis, we do not perform traditional surrogacy for legal and emotional reasons. To date, the only surrogacy cases that have been challenged in court (e.g. where the surrogate is not willing to give the child to the intended parents) have been traditional surrogacy cases. Protection of the intended parents, fetus/child and the surrogate is at the heart of our program, therefore we do not engage in traditional surrogacy.

From Our Patients

I was only 31 years old but my egg count was very low and I had endometriosis. I got pregnant during my first IVF treatment with only 3 eggs retrieved and now have a beautiful baby boy! The nurses and staff are very friendly and incredibly helpful. My husband and I always talk about Dr. Kashyap and how thankful we are to have chosen Genesis. You changed our lives. Thank you!